Systems and methods for reducing stress

ABSTRACT

A method of regulating stress in an individual engaged in one or more active behaviors includes providing the individual with remote-controllable handholdable devices comprising tactile stimulators and receive wireless instructions from a controller and a securing band that can selectively hold the devices, having the individual hold or place the devices bilaterally in therapeutic contact with parts of the individual&#39;s body, having the individual activate the tactile stimulators through changing settings on the mobile digital device application, and having the individual determine the most effective amount of stimulation speed and intensity to control the individual&#39;s stress, wherein the individual self-adjusts the speed and intensity of the tactile stimulators by changing the settings of the mobile digital device application and wherein tactile stimulation is the only stimulation applied to the individual by the operation of the first and second remote-controllable handholdable devices.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to presentlyco-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/438,021, filed Feb. 21,2017, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING STRESS, which claimsbenefit of priority to U.S. Continuation-in-part application Ser. No.15/345,916, filed Nov. 8, 2016, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCINGCHRONIC AND ACUTE STRESS, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/324,023, filed Apr. 18, 2016, entitled SYSTEM ANDMETHOD FOR REDUCING STRESS. This application claims the benefit ofpriority to, and incorporates by reference the entirety of, theseabove-referenced priority applications.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field generally relates to stress reduction, and moreparticularly relates to a system and method for reducing stress toimprove concentration and performance.

BACKGROUND

Stress is one of the most pervasive psychological complaints. Stress hasbeen linked to digestive distress, headaches, depression, sleepproblems, weight gain, underachievement, panic, avoidance, and poorphysical health. When stress triggers the sympathetic nervous system,performance worsens. Returning an individual to a calm state as soon aspossible is desirable. Once stress is experienced over time, the braindevelops neural “habits” that overemphasize the stress response. Whenstress ensues, it is known to increase body inflammation and is oftenimpeding performance and the ability to carry out normal dailyactivities to one's potential.

In many adults, stress begins in childhood as a result from geneticpredispositions, and/or traumatic physical or emotional distress. Stressadversely impacts brain development and creates over activation of thesympathetic nervous system, resulting in performance degradation,preoccupation, depression, anxiety, over-reactivity, and sub-optimalfunctioning in other areas of the brain. The brain's structure andfunction can be significantly altered in ways that promote ongoingstress and less adaptability. The more stress experienced in childhoodhas been shown to correlate with a number of negative outcomes relatednot only to psychological problems, but also physical disease andmortality.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems fordisrupting the brain's habit of over-activating the sympathetic nervoussystem as a result of stress. It is further desirable that the systemsand methods are easy to use and do not impede individuals' mobility orperformance of their job or other everyday tasks. It is furtherdesirable that the systems and methods can be integrated into articlesof daily life and available for use at a person's convenience. Otherdesirable features and characteristics will become apparent from thesubsequent summary and detailed description and the appended claims,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoingtechnical field and background.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various non-limiting embodiments of an alternating bi-lateralstimulation system and method for providing a therapeutic benefit to aperson are disclosed herein.

In a first non-limiting embodiment, a method for providing a therapeuticbenefit to an individual wearing an article having first and secondtactile stimulators bilaterally positioned in the article to be intherapeutic contact with the person when the article is worn by theperson is disclosed. The method includes, but is not limited to,activating the first tactile stimulator to provide a first stimulationfor a first time period and activating the second tactile stimulator toapply a second stimulation for a second time period beginning at leastcommensurate with a cessation of the first time period. This process isrepeated for a therapeutically effective number of repetitions so thatthe first and second stimulations are applied bilaterally to the body ofthe person without the person experiencing a perceivable pause instimulation between the first stimulation and the second stimulation, toprovide the therapeutic benefit to the person.

In another non-limiting embodiment, a system for providing a therapeuticbenefit to an individual includes, but is not limited to, first andsecond tactile stimulators bilaterally positioned in an article intherapeutic contact with a body of a person when the article is worn bythe individual. The system further includes, but is not limited to, acontroller communicably coupled to the first and second tactilesimulators, the controller causing the first tactile stimulator to applya first stimulation for a first time period and causing the secondtactile stimulator to apply a second stimulation for a second timeperiod beginning at least commensurate with a cessation of the firsttime period. So configured, the system provides a therapeutic benefit tothe person by the first and second stimulations being appliedbilaterally to the body of the person without the person experiencing aperceivable pause in stimulation between the first stimulation and thesecond stimulation, to provide the therapeutic benefit to the person.

In another non-limiting embodiment, a non-transitory computer readablemedium embodying a computer program product includes, but is not limitedto, instructions for providing a therapeutic benefit to a person whenexecuted by a processor. The instructions cause the processor tocommunicate with first and second tactile stimulators bilaterallypositioned on the person's body and activate the first tactilestimulator to apply a first stimulation for a first time period andactivate the second tactile stimulator to apply a second stimulation fora second time period beginning at least commensurate with the processorinstructing the first tactile stimulator to cease applying the firststimulation. In this way, the instructions contained in thenon-transitory computer readable medium cause the first and secondstimulations to apply alternating bilateral stimulation to the personwithout the person experiencing a perceivable pause in stimulationbetween the first stimulation, and second stimulation to provide thetherapeutic benefit to the person.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described inconjunction with the following drawing figures, where like numeralsdenote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a bilateral stimulation system inaccordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the stimulation elements of FIG. 1 inaccordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 3A-3B are illustrations of non-limiting embodiments of thestimulation elements of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a mobile device screen-shot for programmingthe stimulation applied by the stimulation elements in accordance withnon-limited embodiments;

FIGS. 5-8 are illustrations of programming one parameter of thestimulation elements in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 9A-9C are illustrations of timing diagrams for applyingstimulation via the stimulation elements in accordance with non-limitingembodiments;

FIG. 10 are illustrations of various permutations of operating modes ofthe present disclosure in accordance with non-limiting embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment;

FIGS. 12A-12B are illustrations demonstrating the benefits of thepresent disclosure in accordance with non-limiting embodiments;

FIG. 13 is an illustration of an individual showing exemplary positionsfor the stimulation elements in accordance with non-limitingembodiments;

FIG. 14 is an illustration of an alternate embodiment employing multiplestimulation elements in arrays positioned on either lateral side of anindividual in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of an alternate implementation of the arrayedstimulation elements of FIG. 14 in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment;

FIG. 16 is an illustration of a securing band that can be used with thestimulation elements in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 17A-17B are illustrations of an adjustable wristband that can beused with the stimulation elements in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment;

FIG. 18 is an illustration of a fitness monitor for use with thestimulation elements in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIG. 19 is an illustration of a wristwatch for use with the stimulationelements in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 20A, 20B, 20C, 21-23, 24A, and 24B are illustrations of wearableembodiments incorporating bilateral stimulation elements in accordancewith a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 25, 26, 27A, 27B, 28A, and 28B are illustrations of footwearembodiments incorporating bilateral stimulation elements in accordancewith a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 29A, 29B, 30A, 30B, and 31-40 are illustrations of head-wornembodiments incorporating bilateral stimulation elements in accordancewith a non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 41-42 are illustrations of jewelry embodiments incorporatingbilateral stimulation elements in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment;

FIGS. 43-48 are illustrations of furniture embodiments incorporatingbilateral stimulation elements in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment;

FIGS. 49-56 are illustrations of mobility embodiments incorporatingbilateral stimulation elements in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment;

FIGS. 57-59 are illustrations of children toy embodiments incorporatingbilateral stimulation elements in accordance with a non-limitingembodiment; and

FIG. 60 is an illustration of a veterinary person showing exemplarypositions for the stimulation elements in accordance with non-limitingembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” The following detailed description is merelyexemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and uses.Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. All ofthe embodiments described in this Detailed Description are exemplaryembodiments provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or usethe embodiment and not to limit the scope that is defined by the claims.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed orimplied theory presented in the preceding Technical Field, Background,Drawings Summary or the following Detailed Description.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a bilateral stimulation system 100 inaccordance with a non-limiting embodiment. The stimulation system 100 issaid to be bilateral, as stimulation is applied to opposing sides ofindividual's body. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, vibratingelements 104 are brought into therapeutic contact with the individual bybeing coupled to the individual's wrists by a band 106. As used herein,“therapeutic contact” means that the individual need be able to perceivethe stimulation provided by the bilateral vibrating elements 104 duringthe therapy period. Non-limiting examples of therapeutic contact includedirect contact, contact through a coupling medium (adhesive or gel),through clothing, accessories or articles being used by the individual.According to exemplary embodiments, as long as the stimulation(vibrating) elements 104 are in therapeutic contact with the individualduring the therapy period, the individual will experience a therapeuticbenefit from the bilateral stimulation system 100. As used herein, a“therapeutic benefit” means an actual or perceived reduction in stressor a lessening of distressing body sensations experienced by theindividual using bilateral stimulation system 100.

The vibrating (stimulation) elements 104 are controlled by a mobiledevice 102 (e.g., cell phone, tablet computer, personal digitalassistant or remote control device) running a software application (orapp) that wirelessly communicates with the vibrating elements 104 viathe mobile device 102 causing them to vibrate.

In one exemplary embodiment, bi-lateral asynchronous stimulation isprovided by the vibrating elements 104. As used herein, “asynchronous”means to stimulate each vibrating element 104 in an alternating mannerwith some period of overlap where both stimulating elements arevibrating simultaneously. The overlap area may begin randomly or may beprogramed as will be discussed below. The vibrating elements 104 alterthe brain's internal communication in multiple areas including thesomatosensory cortex and other brain networks. This interferes with thebrain's ability to activate the sympathetic nervous system and thereforereduces the stress response. By applying the bi-lateral and asynchronousstimulation to the individual's body, the individual experiences areduction in stress and a lessening of distressing body sensations(e.g., racing heartbeat, stomach aches). Because the brain can activatesympathetic arousal in hundreds of milliseconds (or faster via thebrain's primitive routes of processing), the overlap period provides anadvantage over conventional bi-lateral stimulators in ensuring that anystimulation gap commonly used in conventional bi-lateral stimulatorswill not allow the brain to activate the sympathetic system. Thestimulation provided during the overlap period also enhances bi-lateralimpact in the somatosensory areas of the individual's brain.

In another exemplary embodiment, continuous bi-lateral stimulation isprovided by the vibrating elements 104. As used herein, “continuous”means to stimulate each vibrating element 104 in an alternating mannerwithout any perceivable gap or pause between the stimulation beingapplied to opposing (bi-lateral) sides of the body. Similar toasynchronous stimulation, continuous bi-lateral stimulation alters thebrain's internal communication in multiple areas including thesomatosensory cortex and other brain networks continuously so as not toprovide time for the brain to activate the sympathetic system.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a vibrating element 104 isshown. The vibrating element includes a vibrator 200, which in someembodiments is a piezoelectric vibrator as is known in the art. Thevibrator 200 is controlled by a controller 202 which receivesinstructions via the communication module 204 from the mobile device 102(see FIG. 1). A battery 206 provides power to each of the components ofvibrating element 104. The battery 206 may utilize any suitable batterychemistry, including, but not limited to, alkali, metal-hydride, lithiumand maybe rechargeable or replaceable depending upon the implementationin any given embodiment. In some embodiments, the battery 206 may becoupled via cable 208 to power or recharge the battery 206 from asupplemental power source (not shown in FIG. 2) such as the mobiledevice 102 (see, FIG. 1). The cable 208 may be fitted with a micro USBconnector or other suitable connector as will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art. The communication module 204 may be any form oflow-power wireless communication (e.g., BLUETOOTH, WIFI). In someembodiments, controller 202 comprises one or more processors. Theprocessor(s) may reside in single integrated circuit, such as a singleor multi-core microprocessor, or any number of integrated circuitdevices and/or circuit boards working in cooperation to accomplish thefunctions of the controller 202. The processor(s) may be a generalpurpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array(FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistorlogic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designedto perform the functions described herein. The controller 202 may alsocontain a memory system, such as non-volatile memory (e.g., Read OnlyMemory (ROM), flash memory, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., Dynamic RandomAccess Memory (DRAM)), or some combination of the two.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are illustrations of two non-limiting embodiments of thevibrating element 104. In FIG. 3A, the vibrating element 104 is a fixedwith a clip 300 that an individual can attach to a band around a portionof individuals body (e.g., wrist, arm, chest, leg) to position thevibrating element 104. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3B, thevibrating element 104 may be temporarily fixed to an individual's bodyby a removable adhesive disc 400. In still other embodiments ahook-and-eye attachment mechanism maybe used as is known in the art.

FIGS. 4-8, are non-limiting illustrations of a display screen of themobile device (102) that may be used to program the alternatingasynchronous bilateral simulation of the bilateral stimulation system(100). In FIG. 4, a settings screen 400 is illustrated having atouch-sensitive button 402 to adjust the intensity of the vibrations, abutton 404 to adjust the duration of the vibrations and a button 406 toadjust the overlap period during which both vibrating elements 104 aresimultaneously applying stimulation to an individual's body. If nosettings are provided (programed) by the individual, the continuousbi-lateral stimulation mode is selected, with constant intensity andspeed over the stimulation time periods.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example where the intensity button 402 has beenactivated by the individual. According to exemplary embodiments, theintensity of stimulation during the stimulation time period may beconstant, gradually increasing or gradually decreasing Accordingly, theintensity setting screen 500 include selection buttons for selecting(programming) constant 502, increasing 504 or decreasing 506stimulation. In one non-limiting embodiment, when a user selects eitherthe increasing button 504 or the decreasing button 506, a slide-baradjustment area 508 become active so that the individual may drag anindicator from a minimum (“Min”) setting to a maximum (“Max”) setting asshown. Additionally, the intensity settings screen 510 presentsindividual with a touch-sensitive back button 510 to return to thesetting screen 400 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example where the speed button 404 has beenactivated by the individual. According to exemplary embodiments, thespeed that the stimulation is applied during the stimulation time periodmay be constant, gradually increasing or gradually decreasing.Accordingly, the speed setting screen 600 include selection buttons forselecting (programming) constant 602, increasing 604 or decreasing 606stimulation speed. In one non-limiting embodiment, when a user selectseither the increasing button 604 or the decreasing button 606, aslide-bar adjustment area 608 become active so that the individual maydrag an indicator from a minimum (“Min”) setting to a maximum (“Max”)setting as shown. Additionally, the speed settings screen 600 presentsindividual with a touch-sensitive back button 610 to return to thesetting screen 400 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example where the overlap button 406 has beenactivated by the individual. In one non-limiting embodiment, the overlapsettings screen 700 includes a slide-bar adjustment area 702 so that theindividual may drag an indicator from a “none” setting (continuousbi-lateral stimulation mode) to a “maximum” overlap setting as shown.Additionally, the overlap settings screen 700 presents individual with atouch-sensitive randomize button 704. When the randomize button 704 isselected by the individual, the time period in which both vibratingelements 104 simultaneously vibrate is randomly selected by thecontroller (202 of FIG. 2) as will be discussed below. In FIG. 8, analternate non-limiting embodiment of an overlap settings screen 800 isillustrated having a drop-down menu 802 in which the period of overlap(“0” being the continuous bi-lateral stimulation mode), or the randomsetting, may be selected by the individual. As will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art, the screen format illustrated in FIG. 6 mayalso be used for adjusting the intensity setting (FIG. 5) and the speedsetting (FIG. 6).

FIGS. 9A-9B are timing diagrams illustrating non-limiting embodiments ofthe alternating asynchronous bilateral stimulation as contemplated bythe present disclosure. In FIG. 9A, a timing diagram 900 illustrates atime period 902 during which one of the vibrating elements 104(designated “R” for a right side of an individual's body) is vibrating.Timing diagram 900 also includes a time period 904 during which theopposite side (designated “L” for a left side of an individual's body)vibrating element 104 is vibrating. An overlap time period 906 is alsoillustrated during which both vibrating elements 104 are simultaneouslyvibrating. In the embodiment of FIG. 9A, the duration of the overlapperiod 906 is programmed by the individual in any suitable manner,including the non-limiting examples provided in connection with FIGS.7-8. In FIG. 9B, the randomize option has been selected by theindividual (see 704 of FIG. 7) which causes the time period in whichboth vibrating elements are simultaneously vibrating to be randomlyselected between vibrating cycles from one side of the individual's bodyto the bilateral (opposite) side. As an example, and not as alimitation, observing from the left-side to the right-side of FIG. 9Bshows a leading-edge (meaning the beginning of the vibration period 904)908 beginning at the maximum point (most amount of simultaneousvibration) of the overlap time period 906. The leading-edge 908′ of timeperiod 902 can be seen to have a shorter time of overlapping vibrations.Moving on, leading-edge 908″ of time period 904 can be seen to begin atabout the midpoint of the overlap time period 906. In the embodimentillustrated by timing diagram 900′ the alternating vibrations wouldcontinue to randomly overlap within the overlap time period 906 untilthe individual deactivates the vibrating elements by controlling themobile device 102.

FIG. 9C is a timing diagram illustrating non-limiting embodiments of thealternating continuous bilateral stimulation as contemplated by thepresent disclosure. In FIG. 9C, a timing diagram 900″ illustrates a timeperiod 902 during which one of the vibrating elements 104 (designated“R” for a right side of an individual's body) is vibrating. Timingdiagram 900″ also includes a time period 904 during which the oppositeside (designated “L” for a left side of an individual's body) vibratingelement 104 is vibrating. As illustrated in FIG. 9C, at the conclusion(trailing edge 910) of the vibrating time period 902, the vibratingperiod 904 begins (leading edge 912) without pause or interruption inthe simulation being applied to the individual. As such, this form ofstimulation is said to be continuous bi-lateral stimulation. Similarly,at the conclusion (trailing edge 914) of the vibrating time period 904,the vibrating period 902 begins again (leading edge 916) also withoutpause or interruption in the simulation being applied to the individual.

FIG. 10 illustrates some of the possible operating modes of the systemof the present disclosure to provide the therapeutic benefit afforded bythe method disclosed herein. As discussed above in connection with FIGS.9A-9C, one mode of operation focuses on whether the system is providingalternating asynchronous bilateral stimulation (fixed or random overlap)or alternating continuous bilateral stimulation (no gap or pause betweenleft and right simulations). Additionally, as shown in FIG. 10, theintensity and the speed of stimulation may be constant, graduallyincreasing or gradually decreasing over the stimulation period leadingto the nine operating modes illustrated in FIG. 10. A person can varythe settings (see, FIGS. 4-8 and associated text) to find the mode ofoperation that provides the greatest benefit to that person under thepresent circumstances.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a method 1100 performed by the bilateralstimulation system in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment. In oneembodiment, the various tasks performed in connection with the method1100 of FIG. 11 are performed by instruction stored on a non-transitorycomputer medium being executed in a processing unit, hardware, firmware,or any combination thereof.

For illustrative purposes, the following description of the method 1100of FIG. 11 refers to elements mentioned above in connection with FIG. 1to FIG. 16.

It should be appreciated that the method of FIG. 11 may includeadditional or alternative tasks, or may include any number of additionalor alternative tasks, and that the method of FIG. 11 may be incorporatedinto a more comprehensive procedure or process having additionalfunctionality not described in detail herein or implemented as astand-alone procedure. Moreover, one or more of the tasks shown in FIG.11 are removable from an embodiment of the method 1100 of FIG. 11 aslong as the intended overall functionality remains intact.

The method begins in block 1102 where the bilateral stimulationapplication (app) is launched (begun) on the mobile device 102 so thatthe individual may receive the asynchronous (or continuous) alternatingbilateral stimulation as discussed above. In block 1104, a determinationis made as to whether the individual has selected a settings feature toadjust the programming of the stimulation as discussed above inconnection with FIGS. 4-8. If the determination of block 1104 is thatthe individual has elected to adjust the programming of the stimulation,the method proceeds to block 1106 where the settings are adjusted asdesired by the individual as discussed above. Conversely, if thedetermination of block 1104 is that the individual has not elected tochange the stimulation programming, the routine proceeds to block 1108to determine whether the individual has activated the stimulation. Ifnot, the routine loops around to block 1704 and routine continues.Assuming the determination of block 1108 is that the individual desiresto commence simulation, the simulation is applied in asynchronous (orcontinuous) and alternate manner in block 1110 as discussed above. Thestimulation can continue for a time period of until the individualdecides to stop the stimulation as determined in block 1112, at whichpoint the application ends in block 1114. Otherwise, the routine loopsback to step 1110 and the stimulation is continued for a predeterminedtime period or for any time period desired by the individual.

As a non-limiting practical example of the therapeutic benefits affordedby the present disclosure, FIGS. 12A-12B are brain images showing EEGresults using a Cognionics Quick-20 Dry Headset, Neuroguide (version2.8.7), and LFT Tools Software for analysis. In this example, the personis a 38 year old male CEO experiencing excess beta activity 1200 as seenin FIG. 18A. After thirty seconds of applied therapeutic treatmentaccording to the present disclosure (person eyes open in a resting statecondition), is significantly reduced 1200′ demonstrating the significantadvantages of the present disclosure. Additionally, other objectivetests can verify the therapeutic benefit afforded by the presentdisclosure. Non-limiting examples of such test include, motor controltests, cognitive state tests, cognitive ability tests, sensoryprocessing tests and performing standardized cognitive tasks.

FIG. 13 is a line-drawing of an individual's body illustrating variousnon-limiting positions were a vibrating element 104 may be positioned.As used herein, a vibrating element 104 being brought into position orplaced on individual body means being brought into “therapeutic contact”with an individual's body. Therapeutic contact may be achieved by directcontact (e.g., hand held, secured via adhesive or placed via a strap) orvia indirect contact (e.g., through clothing, a coupling gel, through awearable device or through interaction with articles of daily lifehaving the vibrating elements incorporated in them as will be discussedbelow). Accordingly, therapeutic contact means only that the individualneed be able to perceive the stimulation provided by the bilateralvibrating elements 104 during therapy.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-11, Referring now to FIG. 14, analternate non limiting embodiment of an asynchronous bilateralstimulator 1400 is shown. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, multiplevibrating elements 104, 104′ and 104″ are arranged in vibrating arrays1406 such that multiple vibrating elements may be placed at variousbilateral points on an individual's body or incorporated at variousplaces in articles of daily life as will be discussed below. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that more or fewer vibrating elements104 may be used in any particular vibrating array 1406. In operation,the mobile device 1402 communicates wirelessly with each vibratingelement in vibrating array 1406 causing one array to vibrate for a timeperiod, then both arrays to vibrate simultaneously for an overlapperiod, and then the alternate array to vibrate for the time period. Invarious non-limiting embodiments, the time period of vibration, theintensity of the vibration and the overlap time period are programmableby the individual as discussed above.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of the stimulation(vibrating) elements 104 that offers an advantage in the multiplestimulator array embodiment of FIG. 14. The basic operation of thevibrating element 104 of FIG. 15 is the same as described in connectionwith FIG. 2 above, with the addition of a pressure sensor 212. In abilateral stimulation element array 1406, it is contemplated that onlyone or a few of the vibrating elements 104 in the stimulation array 1406may be in therapeutic contact with the individual. Accordingly, thepresent disclosure contemplates that in some embodiments, only thestimulation elements (e.g., 104, 104′, 104″) having a sufficientpressure indication would vibrate when instructed to by the mobiledevice 1402. This operation offers the advantage of conserving batterypower by not having vibrating elements 104 that are not in therapeuticcontact with the individual to vibrate. In other embodiments, eachpressure sensor in the array 1406 reports its pressure indicationdetected by the pressure sensor 212 to the mobile device 1402, which inturn instructs only those pressure sensors having a sufficient pressurerating to vibrate to provide the therapeutic benefit to the individual.In this way, as the individual moves or changes position, differentvibrating elements 104 of the vibrating array 1406 may come intotherapeutic contact with the individual and therefore provide thetherapeutic benefit to a non-stationary person.

The present disclosure contemplates that the bilateral stimulationsystem 100 can provide therapeutic benefit to both stationary and mobileindividuals. For example, stationary individuals can simply hold thevibrating elements 104 in the person's hand during a therapeuticsession. In other embodiments, the vibrating elements need to bepositioned on the individual in a manner that promotes the individual'smobility. Accordingly, FIGS. 16-19 illustrate non limiting techniquesfor positioning a vibrating element 104 on an area of an individual'sbody. In FIG. 16, a securing band 1600 is shown. The securing band 1600may be compliant, elastic or may be secured using a hook-and-eyearrangement as is known in the art. The securing band 1600 has adiameter 1602, a height 1604 and a thickness 1606 sized suitably for thearea of the individual's body (e.g., wrist, arm, chest, leg, ankle) thatthe band 1600 will be placed around. The thickness 1606 is also selectedto facilitate attachment of the vibrating element 104 by the clip 300(see FIG. 3A). The securing band 1600 has an interior surface 1608 uponwhich a material can be placed for the individual's comfort or to absorbmoisture. In FIG. 17A, a wristband 1700 is illustrated that may be usedto position the vibrating elements 104 about an individual's wrist. Thewristband 1700 has an attachment mechanism 1702 for securing thevibrating element 104 to the individual's wrist (for example). Theattachment mechanism 1702 may be any suitable attachment mechanism suchas those used to attach a wristwatch or fitness monitor to a person'swrist, ankle, waist, chest, etc. In FIG. 17B, a wristband 1700′ isillustrated for positioning a vibrating element 1704 about anindividual's wrist. The wristband 1700′ has a sliding attachmentmechanism 1702′ for securing the vibrating element 1704 to theindividual's wrist. The wristband 1700 or 1700′ may be formed ofplastic, leather, fabric, metal or other suitable material and may bedesigned to be worn casually or as a fashion accessory. In this way, amobile individual can gain the advantage of the therapeutic benefit atany time during the day, evening or during a specific event byactivating the stimulation elements 104 via the mobile device 102.

The vibrating elements 104 may also be combined into other devices usedin daily life. For example, FIG. 18 illustrates a wrist-worn fitnessmonitor 1800 that includes a recess 1802 on the interior portion of thedevice sized suitably to receive a vibrating element 104. The vibratingelement 104 may be placed in the recess 1802 by a friction-fitarrangement or by use of a removable adhesive disc (see FIG. 3B).Similarly, FIG. 19 illustrates a wristwatch 1900 having a recess 1902 onan interior portion to receive the vibrating element 104 as describedabove. In this way, one of the bilaterally positioned vibrating elements104 can be integrated into an article of daily life and the oppositebilateral vibrating element can be positioned on the individual buyerthe band embodiments discussed above in connection with FIGS. 16-17.

As discussed above, the present disclosure contemplates that manyindividuals would benefit by being able to use the bilateral stimulationsystem 100 at any time the individual desires. Non-limiting examplesinclude while the individual is driving or commuting, at the office,during lunch, during a phone conversation, while watching orparticipating in an activity, or while relaxing and watching a movie ortelevision. Accordingly, the present disclosure contemplates that thebilateral stimulation elements 104 can be readily integrated intoarticles of daily life that support both a mobile, stationary andpar-stationary individual. In this way, the individual can activatestimulation elements 104 by the mobile device 102 at any time, and foras so much time, as the individual has to receive the therapeuticbenefit. Following are non-limiting examples of various embodiments andapplications for using the bilateral stimulation system 100 byincorporating the stimulation elements 104 into various articles ofdaily life.

Wearable Articles.

The present disclosure contemplates that the stimulation elements 104may be integrated into wearable articles that bring the stimulationelements 104 into therapeutic contact with the individual wearing thearticle. Non-limiting examples of such garments include snug-fittingclothing or portions of wearable garments that are naturally intherapeutic contact with the individual such as by the force of gravity.As used herein, a “snug-fitting” garment includes, but is not limitedto, an elasticized garment or an elasticized portion of a garment. Forexample, undergarments typically are snug-fitting and include, but arenot limited to, a sports bra as shown in FIG. 20A having stimulatingelements 104 bilaterally positioned in two exemplary locations. Thestimulation elements 104 can be activated individually or as part of thestimulation array as discussed above in connection with FIG. 14. Asanother example, men's or women's (boys or girls) underwear may havestimulation elements in the waistband as shown in FIG. 20B.Additionally, T-shirts, camisoles or similar undergarments may havevibration elements 104 positioned in a shoulder strap or shoulder areaof the garment (as illustrated in FIG. 20C) that is naturally intherapeutic contact with the individual wearing the garment due to theforce of gravity.

Outerwear garments can also have stimulation elements 104 incorporatedtherein in positions that bring the stimulation elements intotherapeutic contact with the individual. For example, swimwear orgarments typically worn for yoga or other exercise activities arecommonly snug-fitting and may have stimulation elements 104 positionedas illustrated in FIG. 21. Outerwear garments may have stimulationelements 104 positioned in waistbands as illustrated in FIG. 22.Additionally, accessories such as suspenders or belts (FIG. 23) may havestimulation elements positioned in them to be brought into therapeuticcontact when worn by an individual. Moreover, casual wear, business wearand formalwear may have stimulation elements incorporated into them forwomen (FIG. 24A) or men (FIG. 24B). When the stimulation elements areincorporated into wearable articles, it may be advantageous in someembodiments to have the stimulation elements 104 be waterproof (e.g.,hermetically sealed) so that the garment may be periodically launderedwithout having to remove the stimulation elements. Alternately, thestimulation elements 104 may reside in slots or pockets built into thegarments so that they may be removed before laundering. In otherembodiments stimulation elements 104 may be affixed to the garments suchas by adhesive disc or a hook-and-eye fastening system.

Foot-Worn Articles.

Footwear provides another opportunity for incorporating the stimulationelements 104 of the bilateral stimulation system 100 into the daily lifeof individuals. For example, FIG. 25 illustrates that the stimulationelement 104 may be incorporated into a gym, tennis or sports shoe. Itwill be appreciated that various embodiments of socks (FIG. 26) providesnug-fitting footwear for incorporation of the stimulation elements 104.In addition to various forms of athletic wear, women's (FIG. 27A) ormen's (FIG. 27B) casual, business or formal footwear may have thestimulation elements 104 incorporated into them. Also, variousembodiments of boots may have the stimulation elements 104 incorporatedinto them. Non-limiting examples include military or construction boots(FIG. 28A) or “cowboy boots” as illustrated in FIG. 28B. Generally, willbe appreciated that a wide variety of footwear and various embodimentsof socks, whether or not worn with footwear, provide a useful means ofbringing the stimulation elements 104 into therapeutic contact with anindividual.

Head-Worn Articles.

Head-worn articles are another category of wearable articles thatprovide a wide variety of implementations that support the incorporationof the stimulation elements 104. For example, women's (FIG. 29A) andmen's (FIG. 29B) casual or formal hats may incorporate the stimulationelements 104 into the headband area thereof for use by the individual atany particular time. Moreover, “baseball” caps are commonly worn by awide variety of individuals for both sports activities and as casualwear. The stimulation elements 104 may be incorporated into a variety ofembodiments of baseball caps as illustrated in FIG. 30A. In addition, ina sports embodiment for baseball, stimulation elements 104 may also beintegrated into batting helmets as illustrated in FIG. 30B, to reducestress of the individual at-bat during a baseball game. As will beappreciated, an individual involved in any sports activity that involvessome form of headwear may benefit from reduced stress and improveperformance by having the stimulation elements 104 incorporated into theheadwear appropriate for that sports activity. For example, FIG. 31illustrates the stimulation elements 104 incorporated into a footballhelmet, while FIG. 32 illustrates the stimulation elements 104incorporated into a cycling helmet. Aside from sports activities, thestimulation elements 104 may be incorporated into construction helmetsas shown in FIG. 33. Moreover, military personnel are often subject tohigh stress situations and may benefit from the stimulation elements 104being incorporated into a variety of military headwear as illustrated inFIG. 34. Generally, ground, air and sea military personnel typicallyhave some form of headwear into which the stimulation elements 104 canbe incorporated.

In addition to caps, hats and helmets, other head-worn articles areutilized by individuals for entertainment or other purposes. Forexample, FIG. 35 illustrates headphones that may be worn by anindividual having the stimulation element 104 incorporated into the earcuff of the headphones. Similarly, stimulation elements 104 may beincorporated into ear buds as shown in FIG. 36. In this way, relaxingsounds or music may be used in conjunction with the vibratorystimulation provided by stimulation elements 104 during the therapysession. Other entertainment embodiments such as virtual realityheadwear may have stimulation elements 104 incorporated therein asillustrated in FIG. 37. In this way, individuals involved in virtualreality and augmented reality gaming can be provided with thetherapeutic benefit to reduce stress and increase concentration whileplaying a virtual reality game. Additionally, coaches' headsets commonlyused in collegiate and professional football may have stimulationelements incorporated in them as illustrated in FIG. 38. One stimulationelement can be placed into the earpiece as illustrated in FIG. 35 andother stimulation element bilaterally positioned in the headpiece asillustrated in FIG. 38. In this way, both players (see FIG. 31) and thecoaching staff may receive the therapeutic benefit provided by thepresent disclosure during a football game or other sport. Still otherforms of headwear include decorative or fashion headwear such asillustrated in FIG. 39, where a hairband has been fitted withbilaterally positioned stimulation elements 104. In a similar manner,hairclips, barrettes, tiaras and other head worn fashion accessories mayhave the stimulation elements 104 incorporated therein to provide atherapeutic benefit. Further, hairbands (FIG. 40), sweat bands,bandannas and other head-worn fabrics may have stimulation elementsincorporated therein for the benefit of the individual wearing thearticle.

Jewelry Embodiments.

As previously discussed in connection with FIG. 19, the presentdisclosure contemplates that the stimulation elements 104 could beimplemented in a wristwatch or other form of wrist-worn jewelry.Similarly, the stimulation elements 104 could be incorporated intoearrings as illustrated in FIG. 41. As will be appreciated, earringsnaturally bilaterally position the stimulation elements on either sidethe head and can provide a therapeutic benefit when activated by themobile device as discussed above. Additionally, necklaces can be usedbilaterally position the stimulation elements 104 on an individual asillustrated in FIG. 42.

Furniture Embodiments.

Furniture provides a natural platform into which the stimulationelements can be incorporated for the therapeutic benefit of individualsusing the furniture. Generally, an individual sitting or reclining on apiece of furniture is par-stationary meaning that the individual is notmobile but may move or reposition him/herself on the furniture so as notto be considered fully stationary. FIG. 43 illustrates a chair havingvarious stimulation elements 104 incorporated into the seat, lumbar areaand back of the chair. The chair can be a kitchen chair, desk chairreclining chair or a so-called “easy chair” as illustrated in FIG. 43.In furniture embodiments, it may be advantageous to employ stimulationelements arranged in arrays as discussed in connection with FIG. 14above. Moreover, the stimulation elements may incorporate the pressuresensor 212 as discussed above in connection with FIG. 15. Sofas, asillustrated in FIG. 44, are another article of furniture into which thestimulation elements 104 can be incorporated. Since multiple individualsmay sit in a sofa the present disclosure contemplates that oneindividual may activate one array 4400 via his mobile device and anotherindividual may activate another stimulation element array 4402 by hermobile device. This configuration may be useful in sectional sofas,loveseats or other multi-person furniture. Desks and tables are anotherarticle of furniture into which the stimulation elements 104 can beincorporated. As illustrated in FIG. 45 stimulation elements may bebuilt into the desktop so that the individual seated at the desk canplace her/his hands over the stimulation element to receive thetherapeutic benefit at any time during the day or evening. Children inpediatric embodiments are also contemplated by the present disclosure.As illustrated in FIG. 46, stimulation elements 104 can be incorporatedinto a child's stool which can benefit the child by reducing stress andincreasing concentration to keep the child on-task during an activity.Additionally, the stool could be used to reduce stress and anxietyduring a minor disciplinary action such as a “timeout”. Pillows andmattresses also provide an excellent platform for incorporating thestimulation elements 104 for evening relaxation. As illustrated in FIG.47, stimulation elements can be built into a pillow or can be built intoa pillow cover into which the pillow is inserted. Depending on theindividuals sleep position, the mobile device can activate stimulationarray 4700 or 4702 depending upon the pressure sensor readings providedby the pressure sensor 212 (see FIG. 15) to provide bilateralstimulation to the individuals head. FIG. 48 illustrates a mattresshaving an array of sensors positioned along either side of the mattress.One or more sensors in the bilateral array can be activated dependingupon the pressure sensor readings provided by the pressure sensor 212 sothat those vibrating elements 104 that are not in therapeutic contactwith the individual do not vibrate and waste energy. In embodiments suchas the mattress of FIG. 48 that employ several stimulation elements, itmay be advantageous to have a removable battery 4800 that can berecharged and reconnected to the bilateral array as opposed toindividually recharging each stimulator 104.

Mobility Embodiments.

FIGS. 49-56 illustrate articles of daily life that promote mobility foran individual. The present disclosure contemplates that the stimulationelements 104 can be incorporated into a wide variety of articlespromoting or supporting mobility of individual so as to be able toprovide the therapeutic benefit at any time. For example, FIG. 49illustrates stimulation elements 104 incorporated into the steeringwheel the vehicle. Additionally, the stimulation elements 104 could bebuilt into the vehicle seat as illustrated in FIG. 50 in a similarmanner as described above for chairs in connection with FIG. 43.Moreover, vehicle passengers can benefit by having the stimulationelements 104 built into passenger seats including car seats for infantsas illustrated in FIG. 51. In this way, an unhappy or crying infant maybe relaxed by the therapeutic benefit while riding in a vehicle. Anothercommon article supporting mobility for children is a stroller asillustrated in FIG. 52. Stimulation elements 104 can be built into theseat of the stroller and activated by the mobile device of the parent orcaregiver pushing the stroller. Convalescent and elderly individuals maybenefit by having the stimulation elements 104 built on to wheelchairs(FIG. 53) or powered scooters as illustrated in FIG. 54.

Toys & Game Embodiments.

Children's toys and games provide another platform by which thetherapeutic benefit can be delivered to children in a fun orentertaining way. For example, the stimulation elements 104 can be builtinto plush toys (e.g., a teddy bear) as illustrated in FIG. 57. In thisway, a child can “hold hands” with the plush toy or hug the plush toy ina way as to bring the stimulation elements 104 into bilateral contactwith the child. Rideable toys for children provide another platform bywhich stimulation elements 104 can be built into the riding area (e.g.seat or saddle) of a rocking horse (FIG. 58) or other ridable toy. Forolder children, stimulation elements 104 can be built into gamecontrollers as illustrated in FIG. 59. In this manner, stress can bereduced, concentration enhanced and performance improved in a mannersimilar to that discussed above in connection with virtual reality gamesas illustrated in FIG. 37.

Additionally, the benefits afforded by the present disclosure are notlimited to human persons. Veterinary persons can also benefit as shownin FIG. 60. As illustrated in this non-limiting example, a veterinaryperson 6000 (a dog in this example) has a band 6002 (similar to thatdiscussed in connection with FIG. 60 having bi-laterally placed (oneshown in FIG. 60) vibrating stimulation elements 6004 (similar tovibrating elements 104). A collar example and front leg example areillustrated in FIG. 60. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatother placement locations are possible. The benefits of the presentdisclosure can be seen not only via the animal's improved demeanor andattention, but objectively as well via an EEG or other tests.

While the present disclosure has been described in terms of improvingperformance or quality of life by reduction in stress, it will beappreciated by those skilled in the art that the therapeutic benefitsoffered by the present disclosure may also offer the possibility ofaiding in the treatment of attention deficit disorder,obsessive/compulsive disorder, clinical depression, panic disorder,anxiety, eating disorder, sleep disorder and learning disabilities. Thestress relieving benefits of the present disclosure can assist a personin real or imagined situations in everyday life, relieve stress oranxiety prior to surgery or a medical procedure (or themselves or afamily member), relieve post-surgical and physical therapy stress duringrecovery.

The disclosed methods and systems provide asynchronous (or continuous)alternating bilateral stimulation to support the reduction of stress inindividuals. It will be appreciated that the disclosed asynchronousmethods and systems provide an advantage with the overlapping timeperiod of simultaneous stimulation which enhances the bi-lateral impactin the somatosensory areas of the person's brain. It will also beappreciated that the disclosed continuous methods and systems provide anadvantage by not allowing time for the person's brain to activate thesomatosensory areas of the individual's brain. The disclosedasynchronous and continuous bi-lateral stimulations regimes provide anadvantage over conventional bi-lateral stimulators in ensuring that thestimulation gap commonly used in conventional bi-lateral stimulatorswill not allow the brain to activate the sympathetic system.

It will be appreciated that the various illustrative logicalblocks/tasks/steps, modules, circuits, and method steps described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented aselectronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. Some ofthe embodiments and implementations are described above in terms offunctional and/or logical block components or modules and variousprocessing steps. However, it should be appreciated that such blockcomponents or modules may be realized by any number of hardware,software, and/or firmware components configured to perform the specifiedfunctions. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware andsoftware, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits,and steps have been described above generally in terms of theirfunctionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware orsoftware depends upon the particular application and design constraintsimposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement thedescribed functionality in varying ways for each particular application,but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope as set forth in the claims.

For example, an embodiment of a system or a component may employ variousintegrated circuit components, for example, memory elements, digitalsignal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like,which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one ormore microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments described herein aremerely exemplary implementations

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implementedor performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signalprocessor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device,discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or anycombination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration. The word exemplary is used exclusively herein to meanserving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodimentdescribed herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed aspreferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

The steps of a method described in connection with the embodimentsdisclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a softwaremodule executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. Asoftware module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory,EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, aCD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processorcan read information from, and write information to, the storage medium.In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor.The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.

In this document, relational terms such as first and second, and thelike may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from anotherentity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actualsuch relationship or order between such entities or actions. Numericalordinals such as “first, second, third,” etc. simply denote differentsingles of a plurality and do not imply any order or sequence unlessspecifically defined by the claim language. The sequence of the text inany of the claims does not imply that process steps must be performed ina temporal or logical order according to such sequence unless it isspecifically defined by the language of the claim. The process steps maybe interchanged in any order without departing from the scope of theinvention as long as such an interchange does not contradict the claimlanguage and is not logically nonsensical.

Furthermore, depending on the context, words such as connect or coupledto that are used in describing a relationship between different elementsdoes not imply that a direct physical connection must be made betweenthese elements. For example, two elements may be connected to each otherphysically, electronically, logically, or in any other manner, throughone or more additional elements.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in theforegoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vastnumber of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that theexemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and arenot intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in anyway. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide thoseskilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing theexemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments.

1. A method of regulating stress in an individual engaged in one or moreactive behaviors comprising: (a) providing the individual with (i) afirst and a second remote-controllable handholdable device, the firstdevice comprising a first tactile stimulator and the second devicecomprising a second tactile stimulator, wherein the first and secondtactile stimulators are configured to provide tactile stimulation toindividuals and to receive wireless communications from a wirelesscontroller, (ii) a removable securing band for each of the first andsecond devices, wherein each securing band is configured to positioneach device in contact with parts of the individual's body, and (iii) amobile digital device application wireless controller that selectivelycontrols the speed and intensity of stimulation in the tactilestimulators through speed and intensity settings; (b) having theindividual hold or place the devices bilaterally in therapeutic contactwith either the individual's hands, chest, legs, arms, ankles, orwrists; (c) having the individual activate the tactile stimulatorsthrough changing settings on the mobile digital device application; and(d) having the individual self-determine the most effective amount ofstimulation speed and intensity to control the individual's stress; andwherein the individual self-adjusts the speed and intensity of thetactile stimulators by changing the settings of the mobile digitaldevice application and wherein tactile stimulation is the onlystimulation applied to the individual by the operation of the first andsecond remote-controllable handholdable devices.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the method comprises moving one or both devices from thesecuring band to an article of clothing.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the method comprises using one or both devices in a handheldmanner without the securing band.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein themethod comprises placing the devices in the securing band and placingthe securing band in contact with body parts of the individual.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein a change in the speed setting, intensitysetting, or both speed and intensity settings causes a measurable changein the speed of stimulation, intensity of stimulation, or both the speedand intensity of stimulation, from a first stimulation state to a secondstimulation state, and the change from the first state to the secondstate occurs without a graduated transition.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the method comprises placing the devices within a child's toyand placing the toy in contact with the individual to provide tactilestimulation to the individual.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst device and second device lack any visual display.
 8. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the first device and second device lack any visualdisplay.
 9. The method of claim 2, wherein a change in the speedsetting, intensity setting, or both speed and intensity settings causesa measurable change in the speed of stimulation, intensity ofstimulation, or both the speed and intensity of stimulation, from afirst stimulation state to a second stimulation state, and the changefrom the first state to the second state occurs without a graduatedtransition.